Mons Calpe could face sanction over breach of HGP rules

Lincoln Red Imps 5-1 Mons Calpe

Lincoln Red Imps opened their goal tally just one minute into their match against Mons Calpe. Rico Dominguez was put through the middle after Lincoln won the ball at the flank and worked through a number of passes to end with an early goal. The match came to an early pause as Charvetto, Mons Calpe’s keeper, required attention after coming out to try and block Dominguez’s way to goal. After five minutes of treatment on the field, Charvetto was replaced, making it one of the quickest substitutions this season. The change also meant that Mons Calpe had forfeited the match through the substitution. Not having had any homegrown players on the bench and only four homegrown players on the pitch, the entry of Tuleda meant they were already in breach of the Home Grown Player rules. Once the rule had been breached, Mons Calpe later made four further changes, which further reduced the number of homegrown players on the field, leaving them facing certain defeat regardless of whether they could make a comeback or not.
The match proceeded as normal, though, as the Home Grown Player rules do not stop matches from continuing and are only later enforced.
Mons Calpe tried to respond to the early goal by immediately putting Lincoln under pressure, but this was not to last long. Settling back into their rhythm, Lincoln started to play to protect possession, employing short passing and distributing across the field with a slow build-up, which forced Mons Calpe into their half. When they lost possession, Lincoln applied high pressure to regain the ball, leaving Mons Calpe chasing. A corner from Rico flicked across goal by Pena Garcia grazed the crossbar as Lincoln showed they were aiming to add to their tally with just fifteen minutes played. Just a minute later, Mons Calpe defenders cleared for a corner from within their six-yard box. Within seconds, Lee Casciaro received inside the penalty box, unmarked, where he chose his spot and smashed in Lincoln’s second goal. Mons Calpe had a few moments in which they were able to distribute the ball around for something more than just a handful of passes. However, they struggled to make any progress against Lincoln Red Imps, who, without upping their gears, closed down space and regained possession soon after. As the match reached its first half-hour of play, it was evident that this was turning out to be a practice run for the Red and Blacks, who, with a two-goal cushion, were in no hurry to add to their tally. Mons Calpe, who had little of the ball, had only the bright sparks of Vinet trying to make his way through Lincoln’s defense. On the 30th minute, a quick one-two combination between Pena and De Barr at the edge of the box saw the latter spring into action, run past defenders, and slot the ball past Tuleda for an easy third goal. Mons Calpe, although trying to respond, struggled to find a way into Lincoln’s final third, with no attempts on goal throughout the better part of the first half.
The second half did not start any better for Mons Calpe. Within the first two minutes, Mihaylov, who had just come on for Rico Dominguez, scored Lincoln’s fourth goal with his first touch of the ball. With Lee Casciaro and Tjay de Barr on the field too, Mons Calpe faced three known strikers, although the two Gibraltar internationals were playing between midfield and frontline, with Mihaylov taking a more pivotal frontal role. Mons Calpe did not get their first clear attempt at goal until the 55th minute, comfortably held by Garcia. They made four changes just before the hour mark. However, these did not produce much change to their fortunes. Instead, frustrations seemed to translate into more physical actions, with Mons Calpe lucky not to have had a player sent off when only a yellow card was shown for a head contact. Later challenges from behind and a more physical approach marred the play. Although Lincoln did not produce many attempts themselves with a slow build-up, Tuleda made a couple of good saves before the latter was saved by the post in the 74th minute. Playing at a leisurely pace, the match saw Mons Calpe offering little challenge for Lincoln. Red Imps who walked away with three easy points to regain top place in the league with two matchdays left to play. The fifth goal came in the 77th minute, with Villcanas, who had just come in, beating Tuleda to the ball and rounding him off before rolling the ball in with ease from a pass from Nano, who had only just come on for Walker. Against the run of play and as Lincoln seemed to relax, Mons Calpe found the net. In the 83rd minute, although saving a header, Garcia could do nothing as the rebound fell to an unmarked player to tap in at the far post. This was just the second attempt at goal from Mons Calpe throughout the match. The goal seemed to spur on Lincoln, who heightened their control in possession and started to press on Mons Calpe when they had the ball, returning in this way to dominate the pace once again after a momentary lapse. The final whistle could not come quickly enough for Mons Calpe as they found themselves defending deep inside their half in the final minutes. The result now leaves both Lincoln and St Joseph with one further game to play before they face each other in the final league match of the season.
Mons Calpe now face potential disciplinary action over the homegrown player rules. With two matches still to play, they will also have to ensure they do not forfeit any further matches as they would then also be liable to further sanctions, including a potential ban. Teams forfeiting twice under Gibraltar FA regulations can have their licenses suspended from playing in the national league.